September 12, 1996 (Thursday)
Wow, we went on splits and my companion cut himself and he had to go get stitches. So, we worked some ok stuff happened. Then when we got home, we found out that the branch is really mad at us. The branch president had been interviewing people and he says we’ve not been teaching people all of the discussions. Ouch. The funny thing is we have, kind of. OK, the funny thing is we haven’t, but we did teach them the important stuff. […]
September 13, 1996
Wow, we started off the day going to Bushwick. We walked around. We did some finding. We had a cool zone meeting. I went on the Street Sweep with [Elder]. It was cool. He was my comp long ago. I told him I can speak a Spanish now. We were walking down the road and found a man who was so cool named William. He said he loved the church. I’m like, hey let’s go down to the church. We’re only 2 blocks away. He’s all, OK. So, we go there to teach him and they worked him. He’s going to come to church and get baptized probably Sunday. Ya, that would be cool. Would have been better for one right then, that would have topped off everything nice. The rest of the day was kind of a bomb. I have no response. Every single thing fell through. […]
September 14, 1996 (Saturday)
[…] We tried to get everyone ready to go to Church on Sunday, but everyone juked us. Then President of the Rama (Branch President) started crap that our new member can’t baptize his daughter until he waits one more month to get the priesthood (Aaronic). […]
September 15, 1996 (Sunday)
We got a few people to church and also some inactive members. Actually, an inactive RM and his wife. They’re really cool. I like them. I think the branch like that. We went to go and do inactive work after church and visited this cool couple, way cool. We ate at their house and actually killed off the night there talking. They are so friendly and nice. […] The second counselor lives on the same floor as them and heard us and came out. He caught us doing retention work. But, inside their house, they had a movie on and my comp knew what it was and waited and watched me to see what I would do. Then this bad part came on I’m a little pissed about that. It was called Don Juan. That sucks I’ve seen so much of it out here it almost doesn’t faze me anymore. […]
September 16, 1996
It was cool. I was going to get an interview with President Bailey on the phone but people were listening in so I have to wait until tomorrow.
September 17, 1996
Zone Meeting was incredible. It was about how to magnify your priesthood. Wow, I never knew how to magnify my priesthood and so now I know better. There are many things we can do to magnify your priesthood for the benefit of others that they may be touched by the spirit. So, I had a chance to go and talk to President Bailey. I did some repenting, and he gave me the confidence I needed to stay strong and have confidence before my maker. With love in his eyes and caring in his heart and he tells me he is amazed at how strong I am. I know not why unless it’s like people like [missionaries] who come out kinda of still [have not left the world behind]. He told me about spirits that try and possess our body day and night trying to feel what we feel. To be like us. Weird. Then told me I was strong. I asked him about when we come into his world we’re given a plan, a path and if we fall into transgression and we don’t come out until years later will we still get what was prepared for us in this life? Or will we have it changed? He told me it would be the same because of the atonement of Christ. Otherwise, there would be no purpose to anything. Made me feel good inside. Wow, life is crazy.
Bailey shared the greatest experience with us today. About his mission and his testimony of Joseph Smith. Wow, he was working in the Mormon Pavilion at the World’s Fair and was sharing the Joseph Smith experience when he was encompassed by light and his voice changed to resemble a young boy and he shared the experience in first person. The power and magnitude of this experience could only be known by and through the spirit. He said afterwards, he was totally drained. He sat down and all around him the people were weeping. […] I felt incredible as he shared with us this experience, for it is truth. God lives and Joseph Smith is a prophet. Oh, one thing interesting in this experience. He said he felt the very feeling Joseph felt, the anxiety, the love, the peace, the power of having God and Christ appear before you. Wonder, marvelous, beautiful.
September 18, 1996 (Wednesday)
P-Day. We went to Park Slope for a B-Day Party. It was cool. I liked it. I feel I may end up at that place sometime. Who knows. I could. I love this area and it’s gonna go a lot better.
[…]
A while ago we were Jehovah in Rosevelt and in Sunny Side a man approached us on the corner and said, “Hay did I tell you about my experience with Jehovah’s Witnesses?” I’m like, “No.” Well, he proceeded. “One day a lady stopped me you know, with the little magazines, and asked, do you want to be a Jehovah’s Witness?” And he said of himself, “How could I? I didn’t see the accident”.
Mediocrity is of the adversary. Mediocrity is of the advisory. This is President Bailey’s motto. It’s a good one.